Chapter 5

"Ma'am would you like something to have something drink?" Leifang couldn't see who was speaking to her but the voice was distinctively feminine. Her eyes were closed letting all her other senses take the lead in perceiving her surroundings, most of all smelling. "No, thank you."

"Very well, please call if you need anything." She heard footsteps and a door being closed, leaving her alone again.

The Chinese was at one of her favorite spas that was located in a small town just 50 minutes away from Hong Kong by train. It provided its customers with various services of which the aroma therapy was most important to her.

It became an insider's tip in the past few years that she frequented the establishment. Sometimes she would get an aroma massage but today she contended herself with just lying around and letting the smell of Melissa do its magic on her mood, which had been in a bit of flux ever since her last...encounter with Jann Lee.

She just didn't know what to feel anymore. After having been rescued by the man it was her life's goal to beat him to prove that she was a person that didn't need any help, but every attempt ended with another defeat and cold distaste. Until the fourth tournament, where she managed to beat him and earned his respect.

It should have ended there but it didn't. She wanted to fight and beat him again, becoming a part of his world. The fifth Dead or Alive tournament came as a sort of blessing, giving her exactly that chance.

It wasn't meant to be, though. But their encounter in the train was...she didn't know how to place it or what to feel...

Maybe Hitomi was right, maybe it was time to let it go. But at the same time she felt that there might be a chance for them.

It was too confusing to think, so she had decided to get herself some down time after her friend went back to Germany. That had been a few months ago and she had been here and there ever since.

Hitomi had mailed her daily of course, keeping their steady contact, and with that she had learned that the brunette had been accepted into university and was settling in good enough.

'It's a bit hard, but I think I can manage. Osu! ^_^v'She had written. Leifang knew how hard it was to study so she could empathize with her.

There was a knock on the door before she heard it open slowly.

"Excuse me," soft footsteps approached her. "There is a call for you, Miss"

"I wish not to be disturbed right now." Leifang said in a tone that left no room for arguments.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. But your mother wishes to speak with you on the phone"

The Tai Chi Quan prodigy opened her eyes with a sigh, looking at the woman in front of her. She was smaller than her and looked rather introverted. She had the phone in her hand.

"All right." The attendant handed the phone to her and walked over to the door, leaving her to talk with the woman on the other line but dutifully staying close enough to take the phone back as soon as the call was over.

She raised it to her ear and closed her eyes again. "Hello mother, nice to hear from you."

"Nice to hear from you too. After all you didn't call even once." Spoke the dignified voice from the other line.

"I'm sorry I just really needed some time alone."

"I'm sure you did. It still would have been nice if you called, especially when you are back in Hong Kong." Her mother said accusingly.

"I visited your estate, but neither of you two were around so I just returned to my place. I assume Zhen told you of my presence." Jin Zhen was her personal housekeeper that cleaned up her place and also cooked for her.

"Of course, otherwise I wouldn't have known were to call after all."

"And what's your reason for calling me?"

"When will you continue your studies?" Of course right to the matter; that was so like her mother. She was strictly against her taking a break, even though she already had a diploma on her wall; it just wasn't the one everyone wished her to have.

Economic politics was all well and good, and would help her in the long run, but she knew they'd rather see one for business management.

"Whenever I feel like it. I think I deserve a break and it's not like I'm only staying at home doing nothing." Leifang said, keeping calm and relaxed thanks to the aromatic atmosphere of the room.

"No instead you gallivant around the world and fight in tournaments."

"Not this again."

"Don't forget that you are a Gāo. The name comes with a lot of responsibilities." How many times did she hear that line now?

Leifang was the daughter of Gāo Jintao the CEO of one of China's biggest conglomerates and a prominent public person, who was known for his stoic and stern demeanor, and Gāo Zeng with whom she was in the midst of talking.

"Father is THE Gāo at the moment, I'm just his only daughter."

"And his heir," her mother reminded her. "And if you wish to succeed him one day you need to get your act together eventually. He won't be around forever."

In any other situation Leifang would have scoffed openly. "The way things are going he will probably outlive us all." Before her mother could retort that statement she continued. "Mother, please. I will resume my studies, I promise, but I'm still young and father would never dream of letting me handle any of the business as long as he is still around. He is far too proud for that."

She waited for a moment to let her mother say something but when nothing came she added, "So for the time being I will take it easy and be the good daughter that won't do anything that tarnishes her father's reputation."

"Very well." Zeng said with a sigh of resignation. "How are you dear?"

Leifang smiled, underneath it all her mother was a loving person. "I'm fine. Maybe you should join me, it's lovely here and it would do you good I'm sure. Can't have you get more wrinkles."

"Young lady, watch how you speak with your mother," The woman said with mock anger. For a woman her age she was still beautiful in Leifang's opinion, but a daughter had to tease her mother once in a while after all. "I wish that I could though, I'm currently in Shanghai with your father."

"Somehow I'm not surprised. What is the occasion? I didn't miss your wedding anniversary did I?" the Chinese stretched herself a little; she had been lying on the chair for a while now.

"A business trip. Believe it or not but your participating in the tournament brought it on. Your father thought it might be a good idea to do business with DOATEC so he is preparing everything for a meeting with Miss Douglas."

Leifang whistled. Meeting with Helena personally and striking a deal would be a huge achievement that might secure their position on the world market for the years to come.

"Well at least I helped you guys with my 'Martial Arts nonsense' for once, or am I wrong?"

"No I guess not." Her mother chuckled.

"If I'm not wrong, then I must be right." Leifang cocked her head to the side even though her mother couldn't see it for obvious reasons. "Well I'll be getting back to relaxing then, try to have a bit of fun over there; you could even take father with you."

She could hear her mother suppress a giggle. "I'll try. I love you dear."

"I love you too, Mother." And with that she hung up, closed her eyes and handed the phone back to the attendant.

"If that is all."

"Yes that is all for now." And with a nod that Leifang couldn't see the woman left.

And now back to relaxing

After another day of extensive relaxing she returned to her penthouse in Hong Kong. She simply loved it. It had two floors and enough room for her to practice her Tai Chi Quan without fear of breaking something. Not that she had much in terms of prized possessions that decorated the rooms. She liked it the way it was.

It was located in the Wan Chai district and granted her a nice view over the Golden Bauhinia Square.

"Miss Gāo," a woman in her late 30s, her face long and sharp angled, greeted her bowing respectfully, her slim lips in set in a straight line. She was dressed in an orderly uniform. "You have returned. Are you hungry? I have some snacks ready in the kitchen."

"No thank you, Zhen. I'm not very hungry. I think I will take a bath and then simply go to bed. So you can just go home."

"I will see you tomorrow then." Zhen bowed again. "Goodnight, Miss Gāo."

"Good night."

As the housekeeper headed out of the penthouse Leifang plopped down on the giant sofa in the center of her living room. She had long since given up on making the woman just call her Leifang.

The Chinese bent forward and undid her black heeled boots, kicking them off and just discarding them somewhere on the floor. Next was the red tie around her neck and after that the blue-grey blouse she was wearing.

Standing up again she walked over to the stairs, climbing its steps and rid herself of the black top and shorts she wore. Stopping in front of the Bathroom she simply took off her underwear and walked in.

After taking a quick bath and drying herself she went into her bedroom, not bothering putting on night clothes and by the time her head hit the pillow she was already fast asleep.

The next morning Leifang was having a light breakfast made by Jin Zhen, who now busied herself with dusting off the vases decorating the living room. Like usual she was reading the newspapers. Sometimes she would even find something interesting compared to the usual news of economics, politics and gossip.

She took a sip from her green tea and wondered what she could do today. It was a nice day outside, so maybe she could go to a park and do her daily training there instead of in her penthouse.

Somehow her training wasn't as fun as it used to be the last months after the tournament. She probably wasn't used to train alone anymore after her training trip with Hitomi.

Thinking of her friend reminded her to check her mails. Leifang took out her smartphone and connected to her e-mail account, and like always there was an e-mail written by her friend.

Argh! I can't believe it. My Professor can be such an ass, giving us such a large essay to write on such a short notice. I wish I could just punch him.

Anyway, how was your stay in the spa? I can only imagine how relaxing that must've been. I could kill for downtime like this but in between going to lectures and part-timing I only have my weekends, and even on some of those I have to study. Thankfully only another month and the semester is over, I'm gonna make good use of the free time I have then.

I really miss the time we were traveling around. :)

As she read this her lips formed a smile. Yeah she missed the time they spent together as well. Leifang stared at the text for a minute before logging out of her account.

An idea struck her and she threw up the browser window again. As she looked up what she wanted her smile turned into a grin. It may be a bit hasty but there was nothing wrong with the idea.

And if she wasn't wrong, she had to be right. Right?

You know after this is all over I think I'll be taking one of those aroma therapy massages, but with my luck it's probably gonna be a fat dude instead of a hot chick that's gonna do it.

And oh my god Leifang is a Gao! A Gao of all people!
...Like probably a million other Chinese people out there since it's a pretty common name. It's probably how it's written that makes it different and have more weight or something. Figured she would need a family name after all.

What else...oh yeah for those that actually went ahead (or will be) and read my parody fic Dumb and Alive, please don't pay it much attention, it was written in a time where most of the canon stuff wasn't known and I made stuff up, so it's horribly non-canon (oh boy as if this fic here won't be the same after the next Dead or Alive) and I'm actually thinking of doing a redux version some day.

Well, see you next week.